Croatian president sets parliamentary vote for July 5

A cyclist wearing a protective mask to protect against coronavirus rides past a wedding dress store with mannequins wearing face masks, in Zagreb, Croatia, Thursday, April 23, 2020. The store is closed because of Covid-19 lockdown. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic on Wednesday scheduled a parliamentary election in the European Union nation for July 5.
Milanovic formally set the date for the ballot after Croatia’s lawmakers voted earlier this week to dissolve parliament.
The Balkan country of around 4.2 million people has been easing lockdown measures against the new coronavirus after a drop in new cases.
Croatia’s ruling conservatives are facing a challenge from a liberal opposition alliance after losing the presidential election in January.
The former Yugoslav republic has one of the weakest economies in the 27-nation EU after going through a war in the 1990s’.